Predicting the next 10 QBs to make the Hall of Fame, in order

The NFL Hall of Fame sits in the small city of Canton, Ohio. Around 68,000 people call Canton home, but there is much more interest in the more than 380 golden busts that live in the museum that is the Hall of Fame. Of those players, coaches, and owners enshrined there, 26 are strictly quarterbacks, and another eight played quarterback and another position in the early years of the NFL.

The 27th quarterback is making his way to Canton this year. Drew Brees was voted into the Hall in his first year of eligibility. It’s not a huge surprise as Brees is statistically one of the best quarterbacks of all time. He’s one of two players with more than 80,000 yards passing in his career, and is second all-time with 571 passing touchdowns. 

Looking forward, there are dozens of quarterbacks who could make it to the Hall of Fame, but there are only 10 we feel have a really good shot to make it to Canton and are playing today or recently retired.

1. Tom Brady, Year of Enshrinement: 2028

Like Drew Brees, Tom Brady will get into the Hall of Fame the second he’s allowed. Brady is the best quarterback in the history of the NFL. He has seven Super Bowl championships to his name. In five of those Super Bowls, he was the MVP. It’s not just the winning. He is a three-time league MVP, a two-time Offensive Player of the Year, a 15-time Pro Bowler, and a five-time league passing leader. He holds more than a dozen NFL records that might never get touched, including 649 touchdowns and 89,000 yards passing.

Brady is so easily the next choice to go into the Hall. There are a few players eligible now and next year that might represent the Hall in 2027, but we think the voters will allow Brady to go next. The arguments for the others don’t warrant cutting in front of Tom Brady. He deserves some runway. 

Honestly, Brady likely deserves his own class, but that won’t happen. He is eligible alongside J.J. Watt, one of the greatest defensive players in league history. It will be fun to have the quintessential offensive player and the quintessential defensive player in the same class. Still, Brady is the star of this class. Celebrating the best of all time, possibly in any sport, is going to put all eyes on the Hall of Fame for at least one weekend.

2. Ben Roethlisberger, Year of Enshrinement: 2029

Ben Roethlisberger becomes eligible for the Hall of Fame next year, but he is going to have to wait a few years before he gets his day in the spotlight. Roethlisberger brought glory back to one of the most important franchises in the league. What he did with the Pittsburgh Steelers brought them back to prominence. He helped them win two more Super Bowls and was a league winner for a long time. Still, with Rob Gronkowski also eligible in 2027, Roethlisberger is far from a lock.

And nobody would put him in alongside Brady. Honestly, Roethlisberger won’t want to go in alongside Brady. His entire spotlight would fade to nothing if he had to compare his career with the GOAT.

Still, it seems pretty clear that Roethlisberger will get in eventually. His numbers speak for themselves. He ranks seventh all-time with 64,088 yards, eighth all-time with 418 touchdowns, and fifth all-time in quarterback victories. However, his ability to put something out of nothing is his calling card. He ranks fifth in game-winning drives and fourth in fourth-quarter comebacks in his career. The Steelers were never out of the game when Roethlisberger was under center. That provides a ton of value to the Steelers, and it's a trait that the Hall of Fame voters will value.

3. Eli Manning, Year of Enshrinement: 2029

If we took Eli Manning’s regular-season resume and compared it to his peers, then the New York Giants star would be nowhere close to the Hall. He was a decent player, but decent players don’t get into the Hall of Fame. However, Manning was one of the best players in the playoffs of this generation, and that should matter more than regular season statistics.

Still, Manning has some impressive numbers. He ranks 11th all-time in both passing yards and passing touchdowns. However, it comes down to those two Super Bowl wins. Manning beat Tom Brady twice in the biggest games of his life. He won the Super Bowl MVP both times, and he has two of the most iconic throws in the history of the game. At the end of the day, the Hall of Fame is a museum for the history of the league, and it’s hard to tell the history of the league without those two Giants Super Bowl wins. 

It would be interesting to have Manning and Roethlisberger go into the Hall together. Philip Rivers ruined a really fun scenario by returning to the field this season, making his eligibility a little down the line. Still, having Manning and Roethlisberger go to Canton together when they joined the league in the same draft, one of the greatest quarterback draft classes in history, would be a fitting end to their stories. 

4. Aaron Rodgers, Year of Enshrinement 2032

Aaron Rodgers is likely playing the last season of his legendary career. He was a superstar for the Green Bay Packers, winning four NFL MVPs and a Super Bowl title. His numbers are insane. The 10-time Pro Bowler is ranking in the top five in both passing yards and passing touchdowns. He’s considered one of the best two-way quarterbacks ever, with 36 rushing touchdowns, which is good for eighth among all quarterbacks all-time. 

Rodgers dominated during the regular season, putting up eye-popping numbers for more than a decade. He’s led the league in QB rating four times in his career, but his most important stat is his ability to avoid mistakes. Rodgers is one of the best ever when it comes to avoiding interceptions. His 1.4% interception percentage is the best of all time.

What’s crazy about Rodgers is that he also leads the all-time list in one interesting stat. He has been sacked 600 times in his career as of this writing. No quarterback has been taken to the ground more, showing Rodgers has been able to perform in the face of adversity. While his star isn’t shining like it was in 2018, he is still an easy first-ballot Hall of Famer. 

5. Philip Rivers, Year of Enshrinement: 2033

Philip Rivers is another player who had a ton of great statistics in his career. He’s in the top 10 in passing yards, completions, and touchdowns in his career. He’s also one of the most well-liked players at the position. His fiery personality would always come off well to the media, and if we’re being honest, that does help those players who are on the cusp to get into the Hall. 

Rivers returned for a short stint with the Indianapolis Colts this season after they lost Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones this past season. That resets his Hall of Fame eligibility, but he was unlikely to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, anyway. The former Chargers great doesn’t have the playoff success to match his regular-season prowess. He never played in a Super Bowl, which does hurt his case, but he’s done so much in the regular season that he is going to find himself making it to Canton. 

Waiting until 2033 would have Rivers on the shelf for seven years before he makes it to the Hall, but there are just too many great quarterbacks who are becoming eligible. The Hall is going to quickly become QB-heavy, but this is the era of passing, so that makes sense. For a guy who finished his career with just under 64,000 yards, there’s no way he’s being left out of the Hall for good. 

6. Matthew Stafford, Year of Enshrinement: 2036

The year of enshrinement has everything to do with what Matthew Stafford does this year. After acquiring Myles Garrett in the offseason, the Los Angeles Rams are now the favorites to win it all. They’ve been in that conversation pretty much every year since Stafford joined Sean McVay in the City of Angels, but they’ve fallen short every year except for his first year, when they won the Super Bowl in their home stadium.

Still, Stafford is going to be statistically great no matter what happens this season. If he plays well, he could pass Aaron Rodgers for fifth all-time, and if he plays one more season after that, he will likely pass Brett Favre in passing yards. Stafford will pass Rivers for sixth all-time in passing touchdowns. 

If Stafford leads the Rams to another Super Bowl, move this date up (unless this ends up being his first year of eligibility). Two Super Bowls along with all of his regular-season statistics will make him a first-ballot guy. The Hall of Fame arguments are hot and heavy right now, which usually leads to a guy getting in. He has the Super Bowl, and he just got the league MVP in 2025-26. He has just enough to get him there now, but one more great season and some type of hardware will push him over the top.

7. Matt Ryan, Year of Enshrinement: 2037

Matt Ryan is so close when it comes to Hall of Fame eligibility, but we think people stare at his case enough to get him to Canton. He’s 10th all-time in passing touchdowns, and we don’t think Russell Wilson or Kirk Cousins will do enough to take him out of that spot anytime soon. Patrick Mahomes is a little more than 100 touchdowns away, so he will eventually knock him out of the top 10, but if Ryan is ever eligible while he’s in the top 10, this will help his case.

Ryan’s biggest issue is he never won a Super Bowl. In fact, he was on the wrong side of the greatest Super Bowl comeback of all time. Losing to the Patriots in Super Bowl LI changes this conversation completely. If he was coming in here with all his current statistics but a Super Bowl ring in his trophy case, then he’s a locked-in Hall of Famer. Unfortunately, Donta Hightower caused a fumble, and the Patriots did the impossible. 

And this is why Ryan has to wait nine years of eligibility before he makes it. Voters will ask themselves if Ryan really deserves to be kept out of the Hall of Fame entirely, and he will make it because of that. There are also not a ton of great quarterbacks coming after him until the current crop starts to retire, so he gets in due to the luck of the draw, as well.

8. Lamar Jackson, Year of Enshrinement: 2043

After Ryan, we have to wait six years before we see another quarterback who makes it to the Hall of Fame. There’s a small drought there that has people salivating for the most important position in sports to get a spotlight. The one who ends the drought might be the most interesting player in the history of he Hall of Fame. 

Lamar Jackson being in the Hall of Fame might sound insane, but think about his resume so far. He’s already a two-time league MVP, and some believe he should have won it a third time. He’s had his struggles in the playoffs, but the way Jackson changed the game entirely is similar to what happened in the NBA with Steph Curry. Running quarterbacks used to be a gimmick. Michael Vick was an anomaly that couldn’t last. They were great at selling jerseys and putting butts in seats, but they didn’t win football games, and they sure didn’t last.

Well, Jackson is about to go into his ninth NFL season. He’s never played fewer than 12 games in a season, and he has played at least 15 games five times. His record sits at 76-31-0. People probably don’t realize just how much Lamar Jackson has won in this league. He needs at least two playoff runs for the rest of his career to make it to Canton, and we don’t see him doing this for another 10 years, but the best rushing QB of all time is going to get his day.

9. Patrick Mahomes, Year of Enshrinement: 2045

If Patrick Mahomes walked away from the NFL today, he would be a Hall of Famer. He’s already done enough in this league to be considered one of the best of all time. His ability to keep his team alive even in the most insane scenarios is what makes his great. His eye-popping statistics only help his case. As of this writing, he has just under 36,000 passing yards (good for 33rd all-time) and 267 passing touchdowns (good for 22nd all-time). Mahomes had a rough 2025, but everything is pointing to a bounce back in 2026 and beyond. 

Mahomes has almost 10,000 more yards than Tom Brady had through his age-30 season. He’s on pace to demolish the record books in almost every category. He just suffered his first major injury, a torn ACL while trying to save the Kansas City Chiefs’ season. How he recovers from this injury will drive where we see him in the record books and all-time rankings.

It will also drive when we see him in Canton. Choosing a year for his enshrinement is an educated guess, but we see 2045 making sense. If Mahomes plays for another 14 years, taking him to around 43-44, then he can retire on top, holding all the record books, more Super Bowl rings than he knows what to do with, and a ton of stories to fill his retirement. With salaries hitting insane levels, he also has a financial incentive to keep playing. He might make more when he’s 42 than Brady ever did in his career. Salaries are hitting CEO levels for quarterbacks, so he should hold onto his career for as long as possible. 

10. Josh Allen, Year of Enshrinement: 2046

Similar to how voters are going to make Ben Roethlisberger and Eli Manning wait for Tom Brady to get into the Hall of Fame, the voters will make Josh Allen wait his turn until after Mahomes to get into the Hall. We see Allen actually retiring slightly before Mahomes since his style of play takes more hits. He does have the body for it, but facts are facts. Allen is not avoiding contact, and that might shorten his time in the NFL.

Still, it hasn’t impacted his statistics. In eight years, Allen already has 30,000 yards passing. He also has 220 touchdowns. If he stays on this trajectory, he should easily enter the top 10 in all passing stats. Heck, he could make it into the top five if he’s more careful and continues playing at this level. 

What changes this narrative completely is a Super Bowl. That’s especially true if he wins a Super Bowl in Buffalo. That city has been starved for a championship, so much so that its fanbase is throwing themselves through frozen tables. Football is so important to this city that winning a Super Bowl will be one of the biggest stories in NFL history. The person who is able to provide that to the city and to the NFL will forever be a legend. If Allen can do it, he might get in to the Hall on his first year eligible. 

More NFL news and analysis:

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow